El Centenario

El Centenario is a small seaside town located in La Paz Municipality, Baja California Sur, Mexico, approximately 15 km west of La Paz, the capital city. El Centenario had a 2010 census population of 4,696 persons.

El Centenario is the town closest to CIBNOR, one of the leading marine biology institutes in Latin America. CIBNOR conducts studies of the Gulf of California ecosystem (also known as the Sea of Cortez) which is one of the most bio-diverse bodies of water in the world.

History

El Centenario was founded in the 1960s as an agrarian/fishing ejido by approximately 25 founding families. Each of the original families was delegated land to use for farming and on which to build a dwelling, while the land remained under the ownership of the communal ejido. During the 1990s, due to reforms associated with the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexican ejidos were granted rights to deliver legal ownership of ejido land to the members, thus changing from communal ownership to private ownership.

Local tradition

El Centenario locals eat nopal cacti as a main ingredient in tacos, which is unique in the La Paz area. This tradition was brought to El Centenario by the founding families when they moved from the interior of the Baja peninsula, where eating nopal is more common. In early fall, El Centenario holds a town nopal-themed festival. A carnival with rides and games is set up in the town center. A nopal cooking competition was held and a 'Nopal Princess' was...
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